Okay guys, this is weird. I got a loaner pair of ES700's from Audio Technica Australia.

This is going to sound like my usual AT fanboying, but I am really surprised because the ES700 does not sound like the ES7 successor. It's not a fun sounding can like the ES10 is. It's the most grown up, neutral sounding of the ES series I have heard so far. It also has the best build quality of the ES series I have seen so far. (I have the ES10 and ES88 on hand to compare with).

This is actually what I always wished the MDR-1R was: flatter, more linear bass, less plasticky reverb. And made of an actual metal. (Stainless steel in this case).

They have a dry, slightly grainy tone that sort of reminds me of AT woodies I have heard.

Unfortunately comfort isn't up to the MDR-1R's level, but I suspect this could be remedied by getting the leather pads from the ESW9. Soundstaging is also more intimate than the MDR-1R's lovely natural field.

It's early days (I have 2 weeks with them) but it's pretty obvious that the ES700 can join the table that the Momentum, ES10 and MDR-1R are eating at. I am surprised that people aren't all over this thing already, but maybe they are and I just never step outside this thread.

Recently bought a Denon D5000 with Lawton Mods Level 3... so basically a LA5000. Thing is that it came on an AH-D7000 case! Right?! WTF?!?! So I asked the person that sold it to me if I had an LA7000 or an LA5000 and he doesn't know!!!!!! Heck I could have an LA2000 LOL!!!

Is there anyway to "ID" the Denon series (other than what was written in the cups)? Since cups are also non-stock, there's no way to know easily. I mean, I THINK i tried to find marks on the metal frame, etc. but couldn't find anything...

Any hints?

Also, the AH-D7000 came pretty complete with the instructions, a cleaning cloth, etc... which makes it even weirder...

Okay guys, this is weird. I got a loaner pair of ES700's from Audio Technica Australia.

This is going to sound like my usual AT fanboying, but I am really surprised because the ES700 does not sound like the ES7 successor. It's not a fun sounding can like the ES10 is. It's the most grown up, neutral sounding of the ES series I have heard so far. It also has the best build quality of the ES series I have seen so far. (I have the ES10 and ES88 on hand to compare with).

This is actually what I always wished the MDR-1R was: flatter, more linear bass, less plasticky reverb. And made of an actual metal. (Stainless steel in this case).

They have a dry, slightly grainy tone that sort of reminds me of AT woodies I have heard.

Unfortunately comfort isn't up to the MDR-1R's level, but I suspect this could be remedied by getting the leather pads from the ESW9. Soundstaging is also more intimate than the MDR-1R's lovely natural field.

It's early days (I have 2 weeks with them) but it's pretty obvious that the ES700 can join the table that the Momentum, ES10 and MDR-1R are eating at. I am surprised that people aren't all over this thing already, but maybe they are and I just never step outside this thread.

Folks watching NGE now should follow it with FLCL to help explain what you just saw. Plus, the soundtrack is by the Pillows, so it's all kinds of goodness.

Been listening to my new A5 speakers for a few hours now, and I'm trying to decide if I prefer them to my old Gigaworks T3 speakers that they replaced. The A5's are very clear-sounding and mid-centric, almost like monitor speakers. That's actually a problem on some recordings( like Youtube clips), as it reveals just how poor quality they are. The T3's were very forgiving of poor source material. All that said, vocals are exceptional on the A5's. Peggy Lee singing "Fever" is something to behold on the A5's, and "Mushroom Hunting" from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack is quite a treat on them...

I just checked the Amazon link, that's a pretty good price for a mobile headphone.

@a_recording:

You said the headphone is a neutral? Would you say there's good extension on both ends and as far as immersion is concerned (height, width, depth) would you give it top marks?

What I'd kind of say at this point is that bass is pretty flat, perhaps with some roll-off. more linear than the MDR-1R but not emphasised like the Momentum or ES10. In terms of the highs, they have a bit of a peak (the dryness) that might make them a bit much for some, just a bit rougher than the Momentums. I can't really speak to soundstaging too much at this point - it's a slightly intimate sound and there is some seeming grain to it so it's not perfect in terms of imaging. That said it seems like a value priced all-rounder.

What I'd kind of say at this point is that bass is pretty flat, perhaps with some roll-off. more linear than the MDR-1R but not emphasised like the Momentum or ES10. In terms of the highs, they have a bit of a peak (the dryness) that might make them a bit much for some, just a bit rougher than the Momentums. I can't really speak to soundstaging too much at this point - it's a slightly intimate sound and there is some seeming grain to it so it's not perfect in terms of imaging. That said it seems like a value priced all-rounder.

Nice, have you tried mating them to different gears to see if they scale up/down at all?

For something totally different, on my youtube channel someone posted a comment on my complete collection video. The comment, pretty crappy full sized, You gotta love the troll tribe which is alive and well on the net. I think he even left a thumbs down rating on the video.